The problems associated with dripping candles, complete burning and effective candle mounting are well recognized and there have been numerous attempts, over more than one hundred years, to provide both practical and aesthetically attractive solutions while maximizing effective illumination.
One type of a drip preventing candle holder is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 1,365,485 issued in 1921 to Guest and comprises a drip preventing and candle stabilizing cap member or follower having an annular shoulder portion for sitting on a shoulder of the candle to descend under gravity during consumption thereof and a central, wick receiving opening with a lip to contain melted wax and a cylindrical skirt depending from the annular portion; a stand having a base and an upstanding, socket-less candlestick with a candle supporting surface and receivable in sealing engagement within the cap during the last stages of consumption of the candle to reduce or prevent leakage of melted wax; and complementary cap guiding means on the cap member and base.
In the Guest patent, the candlestick is of constant width, substantially equal to the width of the candle and supporting surface and, preferably, the guiding means includes a cylindrical sleeve member upstanding from the base of the stand surrounding the candlestick in coaxial relation to provide therebetween a skirt receiving socket. The skirt is of greater axial length than the candle and is guided by sliding receipt in the socket during burning, ensuring even, vertical descent of the cap member. Furthermore, the lip is extended to provide a large bowl as necessary to contain the increased amount of wax melted as a result of the high thermal conductivity of the cap which is apparently metal.
However, that construction is relatively bulky and heavy, also requiring vent holes in the walls of the cap for cooling the candle body and another set of holes at the edge of the socket extending into the bowl to drain back reliquified wax from the bowl at the final stage of burning adding to complexity and manufacturing cost. Removal of any wax leaking into the socket can be relatively time consuming and difficult.
In addition, as with another proposal taught by G.B patent 230,229 granted 1925 to Riley, in which a follower's skirt telescopically receives the candlestick, the candle body is concealed from view substantially completely throughout burning as the follower is made of metal.
An additional problem often encountered in candle-lit restaurants, particularly when a diner's eye level is higher than the flame of a candle upstanding from the table top is difficulty in reading a menu on the table below the candle as a result of the relative brightness of the candle flame. Auxiliary illumination below the candle is therefore desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,910 teaches a cap or follower carrying a chimney, both transparent glass, with a radial array of optical fibers positioned on the chimney with one of their respective ends aligned with the candle flame so that a ring of discrete, minute points of light is emitted by their other ends. However, while decorative, such arrangement is relatively complex and the light ring is at the same general height as the candle flame and does not significantly increase the level of illumination spaced below the candle flame.
Other prior candle holders with cap members or followers, some of which are made of transparent glass are taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 84,103; 1,225,614; 1,350,461; 1,671,652; 2,503,236; 3,071,952; 4,544,357; 4,566,055; 4,755,135; 5,057,005; U.S. design Pat. No. 288,722; U.K. patent application publication 2,067,739 and Japanese patent application publication 9161517.